Well, I get approached on an almost monthly basis asking me to use Airlock Alpha to back a fan campaign to save a show.

Almost every single time, I say no. Not because I don't like the show, or admire the passion of those fans who want to save it. But because it's pretty much a waste of time.

A Save (Insert Show Name Here) campaign has about the same chances as hitting the major lottery jackpot ... twice. While the campaign itself might work hard to bring fans together, create new friendships (and sometimes new websites that endure long after the campaign), I would rather take my chances on a $100 a pull slot machine in Las Vegas than bet on the campaign meeting its end goal.

I hate being pessimistic about it, but I'm just being realistic. As a news outlet, there are only so many resources we have available to do activities like that, so we have to reserve them for the ones we feel have a chance.

Still, I get asked what needs to be done to run an effective campaign. I'm not a campaign organizer, but I have seen an observed enough of them to get a general idea. Plus, I've had this chat in detail with the greatest show campaigner of them all, Bjo Trimble, who brought "Star Trek" back for a third season before there was the Internet, cell phones and I think electricity and the wheel.

So here is what I basically share:

Start the campaign early
Don't wait for an announcement that a show is going to end its run. Look for the warning signs early on, and start mobilizing early. Get your message going, and get it out there. Seriously.

If you wait for an official announcement, you might as well pack it up and go home. The odds of saving a show are already slim, but they go down to almost nothing if a network or cable channel makes an announcement. They don't like to look indecisive, so once they announce a decision, they usually aren't going to change their mind.

Sure, that means you will have fans slamming you for being pessimistic, or sounding the alarm too early. But really, there's no such thing as "too early." The only thing that matters is being too late, and once you're late, forget about it.

Get your pen and paper out
When Trimble did her Save Star Trek campaign, using a typewriter to write a letter might be considered impersonal. So imagine how impersonal and effortless sending an email is, or signing an online petition (never waste your time with that -- online petitions are garbage). If it was effortless to create, then a studio executive will take one look at it, and feel you don't really care.

Grab that notebook paper and a pen (you can find them in museums), and hand write that letter. Make sure it's legible, quick and on message. Your one handwritten note (even on a postcard) can be more powerful than 1,000 e-mails. Also, I believe the Post Office still delivers paper in the mail, so make sure you use a stamp.

Know your message, and stick to it
Do not, do not, do not, do not, do not, take the time to write a letter only to talk about how the show should be saved because you love the show. It's already obvious you love the show, or you wouldn't be giving yourself writer's cramp to tell the studio executive about it.

Their response to that would be, "Well, sorry, you didn't have enough other people agree with you, so buh-bye."

One of the very, very few campaigns Airlock Alpha supported in the past was the Nuts to You, CBS campaign that successfully saved "Jericho" for a single, partial season. When that campaign was being organized, I was brought in early, and asked for my input. What I shared was simple: Talk about the ratings. Talk about how the long hiatus at mid-season affected the show's numbers in the second half, how it had a poor lead-in, and how some simple changes could bring the audience back.

This is what networks want to hear. Not how many people loved the show, but where the show went wrong, and what it would take -- from a business standpoint -- to bring it back.

The "Jericho" campaign was unique because an announcement had already been made that the show was cancelled. However, the decision was not definitive. In fact, CBS had initially decided to renew "Jericho," but then turned around and decided to pull the plug. If there hadn't already been some indecision, even my advice about talking the talk would have helped ... "Jericho" would've been a one-season wonder.

Get news outlets on your side
Once you have organized the fans, got your message, and decided how you want to share that message, get news outlets on your side.

One way to not do that is by blasting news outlets, blaming news outlets, or being rude to them. There were two campaigns I almost involved Airlock Alpha in over the years, but backed out when we (and other news outlets) were treated rudely by some of the louder participants.

Insulting the studio, the network, or other shows will get you absolutely nowhere. You have to be sweet and kind, and understanding that the networks have tough decisions to make. Even if the network made some dumb decisions that may have led to the cancellation -- berating them will get you nowhere, because they are the ones you have to convince to bring it back. And that negativity will not be well-received by the media -- and if you don't have media coverage, then forget it.

If the media doesn't care, why should a network? Even the loudest campaign online is just a whisper if you're not reaching out to news outlets and getting coverage.

Start your campaign early
Oh, did I already say that? Of course I did. That's because this is the most important rule of all. I can't tell you how important this is.

I bring this up because there has been a site or two out there that questioned our recent Alpha Waves Radio broadcast about the fate of "Doctor Who."

Sure, BBC is not going to end the franchise, but there are sure signs that BBC might change the franchise, and do so in a way we don't like. If we wait for those changes to be made, then it will be too late. But if we take a look at the warning signs now, then we might be able to accomplish keeping "Doctor Who" thriving.

What are those warning signs? The non-season in 2010. The splitting of the season in 2011. The delay of the season in 2012, allowing for a split in production costs between 2012 and 2013. The paycheck of Matt Smith. Cast changes. Budget changes.

All little things that add up. Does it mean cancellation? No. But it could mean even more changes are on the horizon, and fans should be aware of it, and ready to move once it looks like something we don't like is going to happen.

By finding the warning signs, identifying the warning signs and acting on the warning signs, there will be no surprises. Fans can be proactive and not reactive. And that could very well be the difference between success and failure.

Like I said, there is no such thing as too early. Don't sound the alarm just yet, but at least get your shoes on.